1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to devices for training a golfer to execute a golf club swing that has a preferred extension, release and follow through.
2. State of the Art
Whether a beginner, a low handicapper or week-end golfer, it is every golfer's desire to consistantly execute a perfect well-timed swing where everything comes together in an easy relaxed motion. In such a swing the club head will meet the ball at an optimal attitude and will continue along the target line, propelling the ball flight where the golfer has aimed it. To occasionally execute such a swing provides a peak experience to any golfer's game.
A golf swing is a sequential occurance of a number of actions or elements. An improper execution of any one or more of these actions will produce other than an optimum swing. And while such elements can be evaluated individually, it is their flowing sequential execution that provides a dynamic interrelationship to produce a desired golf swing. Individually, the actions or elements that make up the preferred golf swing can be summarized as; the hand placement on the club and the club extension, release, and follow-through as the club is swung. These elements occur sequentially, with the upper body rotating as the club is swung and a weight transfer occuring from one leg to the other. During extension, the golfer's weight is on his back leg, with, at release, it is evenly distributed, and at follow-through, his weight will have transferred to his leading leg.
The present invention provides a dynamic training system whose repeated use will recondition a golfer to perform a proper golf swing. Whereas, earlier devices and arrangements have addressed improving or modifying aspects of the swing only. For example, certain earlier devices have dealt with club grips for positioning a golfer's hands around the club grip and, to that end, have provided grooves, finger pads, and ridges to fit the contours of his hands. Some such grips are shown in patents by Papin, U.S. Pat. No. 1,638,454; English, U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,322; Beebe, U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,100; Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 2,046,191; and Ottman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,298,505.
Additional to earlier U.S. Patents dealing with club grips, an earlier patent by Barnhart, U.S. Pat. No. 2,146,048, recognized a benefit to weight displacement in using a bent golf club shaft. This weighted shaft arrangement was, however, intended only to dampen a shock imparted into the golf club shaft when the head struck a golf ball.
Additionally, a bent shaft and weighted head arrangement is shown for a golf swing training device in a patent by Strahan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,346. This swing trainer, however, while it recognizes a benefit to a bent shaft and a weighted end displaced from a golf swing center line, is significantly different in structure from the trainer of the present invention in that it teaches a trainer shaft having a single bend only and it arranges a weight to encircle the shaft and to be adjustable vertically thereon. Also, the Strahan trainer is used to retrain a golfer to perform an inside-out golf swing correcting only a single aspect of the swing.